Lynton & Barnstaple Van 23

[Hayfield1]

I am a volunteer with the Lynton & Barnstaple East Anglian Group (Heritage coach group), the group is involved in restoration and building the coaching stock. I have been involved with the group for over 2 years, they have had Van 23 in the works for a number of years now. Simply van 28 was worn out with the wooden underframe decidedly not fit for service

The plan was to rebuild the van with a new steel underframe. This time those at Woody Bay engineering department decided they could both build the steel underframe and repurpose a pair of bogies they had in stock ( This work was previously done by outside contractors), The Heritage coach group duly dismantled the van and began the job of prefabricating the parts to rebuild it whilst Woody Bay got on with the chassis.

Sadly for us the engineers stopped work on the chassis to restore Sir Thomas Nunes. By the time I joined van 28 was in limbo until the chassis could be completed. We therefore got on with prefabricating parts for the next coach which is number 9

To cut a long story short the chassis is now in the workshop, the bogies have been refurbished and the brake system is being installed, with delivery anticipated in a month or so



We rent a large barn which has various rooms, this is a shot to the main coach erection area. I the mid distance are the solebars and cantrails which have been marked out for the various uprights for the sides and doors



A close up of the solebar (left) and cantrail (right and upside down) sitting on sitting on the angled slice we cut off

The solebar has a notch to fit over the steel underframe, in practice it sits over the steel underframe and the uprights are morticed jointed into it

Van 23 is 26'3" over the head stocks and the wooden planks we had were over 12" wide, so both the circular saw and planer were taken out of the machine shop, to cut and plane both solebars and Cantrails. In fact over the past month as well as other jobs we have both cut and planed to size the solebars and cantrails for both van 23 and Coach 9. We now use Iroko wood as teak is not available



A closer shot of the solebars and cantrails, which ate marked out using rods, then the mortices are cut out. Standing on Car axle stands and jacks to keep all level



A close up of our leveling system, basic old school but effective

We are also painting the prefabricated planks for the sides and ironwork

In the foreground are some of the vans side uprights. Unlike other builds the design requires the solebars fitting to it prior to the assembly of the vans body

If anybody in the East Anglia area is interested in volunteering and joining the group and can get to Colchester under their own steam PM me

 

[Rob R]

Too far from home for me but well done.
The rebuilt L&B rake is a fantastic acheivement.

 

[Osgood]

What a major undertaking, well done!

Just an observation, and I'm sure it will have been given prior consideration - oak against steel?
In an ideal world the steel frame would be galvanised - expect most galvanisers have a length limit for their tanks, so that might dictate bolted sections instead of a fully welded assembly.
I'm guessing you have some durable paint separation in mind?

 

[Hayfield1]

Thanks. The decision was already made before I joined, originally the chassis was wood, when initially rebuilt wood was used again. I assume a decision was already made sometime ago for steel underframes for all stock. As all coaching stock stay outside all year, we have just had planning permission granted to build a temporary coach shed, the coaching stock get a battering from the weather on Exmore and needs protecting

Chassis will be painted not galvanized, as built on a small budget. Most of what I have done has been on coach 9, and a limited amount on van 23. At the same time as making the solebars and cantrails, we cut the solebars and cantrails for coach 9, but this time each solebar or cantrail was made in 3 pieces to be spliced into one, as they will be 36' long

John

 

[Hayfield1]

Side posts are being tried for size, but Tuesday two of us were undercoating the T&G boards/planks for the van sides. Two others were using a planer to size coach 9's solebars whilst the planner is out of the machine shop

 

[Hayfield1]

Its gone !!! The framework was always going to be taken down and rebuilt on to its new chassis, However on a recent inspection coach 7 has an issue with part of the north side soleplate and will be with us ASAP as it has to be back for July

As it happens whilst the revised arrival date for the chassis is the end of this month, its highly unlikely it will be completed by then. Coach 7 takes priority and gives the engineering department a bit more time to finish van 23 chassis

We will continue to work on van 23 parts until coach 7 arrives, then its all hands on deck to return coach 7 before July and hopefully when the low loader comes for coach 7 it will have van 23 chassis

 

[AdeMoore]

Very interesting insight John. Very much a fan of the L&B.

 

[Hayfield1]

I wont be there next week, but I don't expect the coach to be there that soon

I have been told the first big job with coach 7 is to remove all the lower paneling to get access to the soleplate, we need to unbolt he coach from the steel underframe, whilst the chippies cut in a new piece of soleplate, no doubt I will be painting the new beading, Yards and yards of it as both sides have to be done

2 coats of primer, 3 coats of undercoat and 3 coats of topcoat, similar for the paneling depending on its condition. There is a possibility we may fit sliding partitions between the seats, by using some built for coach 9

 

[Hayfield1]

We seemed to have lost the last update, where I showed our progress on van 23 with its new position in the workshop due to the impending arrival of coach 7 which is in need of urgent repairs

I reported last week that it was being picked up on Monday and delivered on Tuesday. Well the gremlins struck again with the lorry breaking down on the way to pick up the coach, said lorry was having its breads repaired on Tuesday. We have now been informed the coach is due on this coming Tuesday.

 

[PaulRhB]

I think the forum downtime a day or so ago may have been an attack and some posts lost in going back to a backup.
Maybe just reload the pics for now?

 

[Hayfield1]

A quick recap of what has been happening, we were starting to assemble van number 23, it was brought to the works years ago for a refurb, but it was in such a bad way its back broke and it was found many more parts were in need of repair/replacement. In the past the Ffestiniog railway works built the metal chassis. However the engineering department at Woody Bay said that they could build it for us I think in 6 to 12 months.

3 years on its still partway through being built with no commitment when it will be ready, at one point we started to fabricate parts for coach 9 (all third) but in the end we decided we would carry on with van 23 rather than waiting for the underframe.



Then back in April during an inspection of coach 5 it was found to have a serious issue with the Welsh side soleplate (under the open central compartment) The repair cannot be done at Woody Bay so it was drop everything, then all went quiet, we in the meantime made some carriage dividers and continued painting some paneling for coach 9



In the end we got fed up and put van 23 back together again



The cant rails had mortices cut and by the beginning of the month the cant rails were trial fitted (end posts not fabricated yet. Dave is now finishing off the roof ribs,

But then at the end of the week we were told the coach was being loaded on Monday and delivered Tuesday or Wednesday. Now due lorry failure will be with us on Tuesday



Big boys train set, workshop rails to move the coach from the trailer into the workshop, a bigger version of Hornby tinplate track

 

[Hayfield1]

Back down the workshop yesterday in the hope coach number 7 would arrive, no such luck and we find the communication from Woody Bay very frustrating





The roof ribs have now been fitted into place and nigh on dead square



We are using the previous vans doors, which have been stripped down, repaired where necessary and we have primed, undercoated and preparing both for a second coat of gloss



From the other (non guard's) end. End posts can now be built as can the duckets. All woodwork will be primed to give the wood some protection

 

[Hayfield1]

Its been quite a while since I posted on Van 23, so I will give a quick recap

6+ years ago Van 23 was sent back to the then L&B Essex Support group as it was in a bad way and in need of a rebuild. Soon after we received it, the van broke its back ( it still had the original wooden solebar and a great deal of the other woodwork was beyond repair)

6 Years ago a new metal chassis had been designed and rather than commissioning the Ffestiniog works to build the chassis, the Woody Bay Engineering workshop convinced the powers that be it could build the chassis and it would take 6 months to build (well that what was I was told).

I joined the now renamed L&B East Anglian support group which is now at Layer south of Colchester 3 years ago, and all that time we have been told the chassis would arrive in 3 months. Still recently work on the bogies and chassis has recommenced

Last spring we were contacted by Woody bay to see if we could carry out urgent repairs in Coach 7, it did not arrive until July and we have been working on it since then, other than a bit of final snagging the coach has more or less been refurbished top to toe and had items added which were missing when first rebuilt.

We have turned out attention back on to van 23, last week we were buoyed up by the news Van 23 was on its bogies



Not only that but the chassis was on its way to be shot blasted and painted



The idea being that when the low loader comes up to pick up Coach 7 it drops off van 23 chassis. We are told the shot blasting and painting will take just over a week, then bogies and other items will need fitting prior to the chassis coming up. Light at the end of the tunnel




The chassis has been temporarily erected at the back of the workshop, the sides and ends have been formed and clamped together, simply to see all fits. Steve is stamping item numbers to each piece



The design of the chassis is that the coach is to be built on to it, rather than 2 separate subassemblies. Sides and ends are over size and will be cut to match the chassis, the end posts are partly formed, as far as they can.


Yesterdays jobs were to dismantle the framework and finish off priming the parts




Martin painting the sole plates

Its very cramped in the barn (workshop) as we have coach 7 waiting for a lift, most of van 23 parts formed and painted up to undercoats, and quite a bit of Coach 9 (same style as coach 7 , special 3rd) preformed, painted and stored away. Soon we will have room to work in comfortably

The coach will be with us for a few weeks, it anyone wants to come and look it over. Or would be interested in joining the group (We are a friendly bunch and its a bit more like a club of friends than anything else,) PM me